After reading the latest story on an advertising campaign by WakeUp Wal-Mart, I was left with a little "shock and awe" about the message the activist group has put out against the world's largest retailer. In what I would consider a very strong yet indirect connection, the new advertising campaign loosely attempts to connect Wal-Mart with terrorism as it mentions the cookie crumb trail from Wal-Mart (NYSE: WMT) to China to Afghanistan. Okay, that inference warranted a little more reading from yours truly.

The connection that is made links the dots between Wal-Mart's business relationship with China (which is mind-boggingly huge) and how China also supports terrorists in Afghanistan by shipping weapons there. The television ad then ends with "So, before you think about shopping at Wal-Mart think about that." What is doesn't mention is that the U.S. economy turns daily on its business relationship with China. In fact, I hate to think what would happen to consumer spending (about two-thirds of the U.S. economy) if we serviced all consumer need from U.S. resources instead of Chinese resources, overnight. Immediate collapse, my friends.

Now, that is not to say that the U.S. consumer's dependence on Chinese goods could not go away over time, but that's another post. So many companies have so many links to Chinese-made goods that Wal-Mart and just about every other Fortune 500 company that makes a product would be guilty of "terrorism links" in the context of this advertising campaign. If you read my weekly Wal-Mart column, you'll know that I give Wal-Mart a fair shot always -- good and bad. But this shot, while having some semblance of legitimacy (except where the facts are to support the accusation), should not be directed solely at Wal-Mart, but at any company that makes products in China with Chinese labor. Like that new iPhone? I'll bet it was made in China. Is Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) getting beat up here? Doubtful.

With Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE:WMT) this week releasing a new advertising campaign intended to tout the many positives it brings to communities, its critics have quickly responded.

Various non-profit groups have responded -- the same day -- by releasing reports that state Wal-Mart's policies not only hurt both its own workers, but the communities the workers live in. Ouch.

Wal-Mart to stand up to the pressures and antagonists it constantly has and defend (or shrink) in its responses to criticism. Wal-Mart's PR (pin) group certainly has the tools to take on critics full-steam ahead, and this week's ad campaign launch is just the meager start.

Will Wal-Mart be bringing "low paying jobs" to urban communities like it allegedly has in rural and suburban communities? This is what the non-profit groups argue and it's what's on the mind of many. Of course, the definition of "low paying jobs" is a little flimsy -- specific detail is needed to see if that $9/hour job is indeed "low paying" in the locations in question. Cost-of-living is different everywhere.